Database applications, in one current widely used embodiment, are executed on a single general-purpose processor (GPP) for accessing and retrieving information. This limits the number of database accesses per unit time based on the processing capacity of the GPP. These applications often utilize a variable length key to access information within the database. For example, the key may include any number or all of the following: telephone number; social security number; license plate number; employee serial number; name; address; medical record number; account number; or a virtual memory page on a DASD application. With current techniques, searching on all of these keys is time consuming and inefficient.